Bead-cleaning machine.



T. MlDGLEY.

BEA!) CLEANING MACHSNE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.4. 191a.

Patented Apr. I 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS SHEET I.

3 rw emtoz ixth ammo T. MIDGLEY.

BEAD CLEANING MACHWEJ APPLICATION FILED AUG.4|19IV3.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2- T. NHDGLEY.

BEAD CLEANING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED AUGA, 1913. L180fi16, Patented Apr. 25, 1916. 5 SHEETS-SHEET q w/bvwoow 22 Q 75 v MI DGLEY I BEAD CLEANI'NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NHL-4,1913.

1 10510, Patented Apr. 25,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- ym/imam use the same? therefrom all dust and bloom from the sul- THOMAS MIDGLEY, orwcn'rnmcroiv, onto, ASSIGNOR 'ro MORGAN & ware-Hr, or

' nn'rnoxr, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN. v

isoeio;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1913. Serial No. !32,926. Y

To all whom) it may concern and I do hereby declare the ,follcwingto be a full, clean-and exact description otthe invention,s"u'ch as will enableothers skilled 1n the art towhich it appertains to makeand My inventionhas for its object to provide a machine for brushing or cleaning the beads.

used in the manufacture of tire casings. Said beads, which are formed and partially .uulcanized-in pieces of considerable length, are made of Whatfis known as rubber shoddy,

and after they leave'the ,vulcanizer, and beiorentheycan be coated with-rubber cement for use in the tire casings, must be brushed.

or cleaned thoroughly in order to remove fur, so that the rubber cement may be .ap-

plied properly thereto;

.2 5 cleaning hasbeen done heretofore by hand,

This brushing or and it is the object oi 'gmy 'present invention to'provide a machine which will act upon these lengths of beads thoroughly to cleanse every-side thereof. 30.

I accomplish this obect in the manner and by the means hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

' Figure 1' is a top plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the machine,

parts being shown in elevation, and the supplemental brusher or cleaner at the discharge end of the machine being shown in sideelevation, partly broken away.

at the'feed end of the same.

IVIV Fig. 2, showing the feed driye for the supplemental brusher or cleaner, the

latter being shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is an enlarged :deta1lelevatron of the feed roll ers at the feed end of the machine. Fig." 6 is an enlarged detail of said feed rollers.

shown in section, a portion of the guide tube for the bead. and the first of the series of --;cleaning brushes. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the feed end of one of the ,guidetubes, taken on the Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine taken line VlI-s-VII, Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of said guide tube. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail side elevation of a portion of one of the guide tubes taken at the point where the second brush operates. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, taken at the discharge end of the guide tube. Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line XI- -XI, Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a similar view taken on the line XII-XII, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a detail plan view of the guide plate of the supplementalbrusher. or cleaner, showing diagrammatically the path of travel of the bead through the same. Fig. 14: is a front view of said guide plate, shown partly broken away.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views.

In the said drawings the reference numeral 1 denotes the bed plate of my: improved machine, the same being mounted on suitable legs Q. Mounted upon and transa bracket 12 carrying supports '13 for the guide tubes 14. hereinafter to be described, said brackets being independently adjustable transversely of the machine on said tables 3, as shown in Fig. 2.

Mounted in bracket-s15 bolted to the bed plate 1 is a series of transverse shafts 16,

Patented Apr. 25, into.-

verselyadjustable on said bed plate are two preferably three in number, each of said shafts carrying two bufiing wheels 17 disposed on opposite sides of the machine immediately above the guide tubes 14, thus providing two sets of three bufling wheels each. the same being capable of operating.

independently, upon the beads in the two guide tubes or sets of guide tubes 14. Sr .1

bailing wheels are adjustable longitudinally of their shafts 16, which adjustment is ac complished preferably by means of washers 18 threaded on the shafts 16 and jam nrts 19, the bufling wheels being adjusted longi tudinally on their shafts by shifting said washers.

Bolted to the bed plate 1 at each end of the machine are two brackets 20, disposed in alinement with the brushes 17, and best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. Said brackets form guide ways for the slides 21,the latter carrying racks zlilcneshing with gear Wheels 23 mounted on transverse shafts 2% and operated by a removable crank 25, whereby said slides 21 may be'accurately adjusted vertically in their brackets 20, suitable set screws 25" providing means for locking said slides in any adjusted position. Carried by the pair of slides 21 in each bracket 20 are two shafts 26 and 527, each having mounted thereon a grooved guide and feed roller '28. the coinciding grooves in said rollers conforming to the triangular configuration of the lengths of beads to be boiled. The low ermost shafts 26 of said pairs of shafts at each end of the machine, are connected by toggles 29, whereby they may be driven Eli while adjusted to different heights, and said shafts 26 and 27 are geared together by gears 30 so as to be rotated simultaneously.

The drive to said feed rollers 28 is imparted ilroin drive pulley 31 by means of a sprocket chain (not shown) extending from a sprocket wheel 32 on the shaft of said drive pulley to a sprocket wheel 33 mounted on one of the shafts 26, this motion being in turn imparted to the shaft 26 at the other end of the machine by means ofiia sprocket chain (not shown) extending between SPX'OPliQt wheels 3%. on said shafts 26 and passing over idler sprocket wheels 35 mountcd in brackets 36 bolted to the bed plate 1.

The lengths of head to be buffed being substantially triangular in cross area, it is necessary that each face thereof shall be subjected to the action of one of the buffing wheels 17, and as each of said wheels operates downwardly upon the head it is necessary to turn said head automatically during its massage through the machine so as successively to expose its sides one to each buffing wheel 17. lhis I accomplish by means of the guide tubes 14-. the construction of which is best seen in Figs. 6 to 12. Each of said guide tubes consists of an outer tube or casing 3i having disposed therein extending substantially from end to end a helically grooved guide bar 38. Said guide bar is somewhat smaller in diameter than the interiordiameter of said casing 37, and is maintained in position centrally in said casinn by means of a series of short sleeves 39 interposed between said casing and guide bar. one of said sleeves being located at the feed end of the guide tube 14:, as seen in Fig. 7. and another at each point in the length of said guide tube where a birding wheel '17 operates thereon. The configuration of the groove 40 in said guide rod .38

is such that, inconjunction with said sleeve 39, it offers a cross section correspondiniz accurately with the substantially triangular contour of the head 41 to be halted. It fol-- lows, therefore, that as the head is fed between the rollers 28 at the feed end of the machine, whose coinciding grooves are shaped to receive it only when fed in a predetermined position, it will pass into its guide tube 14, whose receiving end is in immediate proximity to said rollers 28, as seen in Fig. 6, properly turned to enter and fit said guide tube. The casing 37 of said guide tube, as well as the sleeves 39 and the guide bar 38, are cut away at 42 on the arc of a circle coinciding with the circumference of the buffing wheels 17, these cut away portions registering with said bufi'ing wheels, so that the wire bristles forming the bailing surface of the latter will rotate in said grooves incontact with the eiiposed face of the head in its passage through the guide tube, as best seen in Fig. 6. The head 41, in its passage through the guide tube 14 thus will move first past the lust cut away posed to the action of the bristles of the "portion. 42 with one of its three faces exfirst butting wheel 17; will then, byreason ,tions of the head are shown in succession.

By employing the short lengths of sleeves 39. instead of a continuous sleeve. I provide a comparatively free space between the successive bufiing points for the passage of the head 41. so that there will be no tendency of the latter to bind. said spaces. however. not being large enough to affect the guiding and turning action of the helical grooves 40 in the guide bar 38.

The detail view. in Fig. 5 shows the rollers 28 grooved to receive the beads tobe buffed at four points. i These grooves maybe of difierent sizes in cross area to receive beads of different sizes. and it will be un derstood that the size of the guide tubes 14 may be varied accordingly. And in each of the supports 13 for Said guide tubes is provided space forfourof said guide tubes. thoughin the drawings but one guide tube 14 is shown in each set of saipports 13. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.. the guide tubes 14 are clamped between suitably shaped 1,180,310 w v r 3 adjusted to accommodate it to bufiing wheels of varying diameter, the: latter necessarily weanng down with use.

- In operation the end of'the length of bead ll tobe buffed-is fed by hand between the rollers 28 at the feed end'of thetmachine and to'the groove to suit its size, and byv said feed rollers is pushed. into its guide tube 14, which has been positioned properly able manner,

to receive it, the height of said feed rollers 28 in the bracket '20 having been adjusted of the guide tube '14: having been corre spondingly adjusted by means of the set screws 44: to suit the diameterof the bufling Wheels 17. The beadin its passage through the machine .is turned by the helical groove successivelyto present its three faces to the three buiiingwheels'lZ, the latterbeing rotated reversely by means of power applied to their shafts 16 through drive bands applied to the pulleys 45 thereon in any suitand said head finally reaches and passes through the rollersQS at the discharge end of the machine. While this buifing of the bead is most elilcient, still there is more or less settling of dust on the bead as it comes from the buffing-mechanism herewas inbefore described Which it is necessaryv to remove, and it has been found desirable to supplement the bufling operation with a brushing operation.- This I accomplish by the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4:, 1b and 14: of the drawing, and which will be described as follows :-Fixed to the machine bed plate 1 at the discharge end'thereof are two parallel brackets 16, inclined upwardly,

and carryin'g at their outcr'ends bearings for the shaft 4'Z'of a bristle brush ng wheel 48, the same being located in an open bottoured casing 49 totheupstanding discharge pipe 50 of which .a su table suction'device may be connected for carrying off the dust removed from the head during this brushing operat on. Within the casing Mb), 1S}! guide plate 51, best seen n ihgs. 1-3 and 14-, an integral ertur'ed lug 52 on its underside serving-to recelvethe pivot bolt forming its support. Said giude plate is formed with three through passages 53, 54 and which when said plate is swung to a horizontal position by means of the slides 21, and the height Pivotcd in said-brackets 1 :6, and i i As seen in Fig, l t,

17, and the 1 in the brackets 46, where adjustment is controlled by a' hand-Wheel 57 is a roller-f 58 grooved to correspond with the passages in guide plate 51,-sa1d roller 58 being driven in the direction of the feed rollers 28 by; a sprocket chain extending'between a sprocket wheel 59 on the shaft 60 of said roller. 58. and sprocket Wheel 61 on the toggle 29, ofvthe shaft 26 of the discharge rollers 28, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

In operation the beadas it leaves the dis I charge rollers28 is passed by hand into; the passage 53 in guide plate 51,;Which carries it to the correspondingly shaped groove in roller 58, b which it is passed beneath the brushing W eel 4:8, which is reversely rotated by a suitable power driven band applied Wto pulley'tZ-on the shaft a7. Thebead with one face thus brushed passes from roller 58 downwardly through guide 63 in the casing 49, and is then carried, around .by hand and again passed through said guide plate 51 but through passage 5+2, said'bead'being t-ivisted one third to cause it to fit the contour ofsaid passage Said bead being thus directed to the corresponding groove lIl roller 58 is carried by the rotation of the latter again beneath brushingwhe'el 48 whereby another face thereof is brushed. This operation is repeated, the bead now being again twisted one third to bring its last face uppermost, Sons to fit into passage 55, and said head, after its passage for the third time beneath brushing Wheel 48 is discharged through guide 63, all of said operations being. illustrated diagrammatically in dotted lines in Fig. 13, them-rows indicatingthe direction of feed.

Wl'iile I have described but a single brushing Wheel 48 and its parts, still I have illustrated the same in duplicate to correspond with the duplicate sets of'feed and discharge rollers ZSQwher'eby the machine is adapted to bri'lsh simultaneously two lengths of bead.

Having thus described my invention, whatl "claim as new and desire to secure by l ietters latent is:

l. Ina bead cleaning-machine,cleaning means for operating on. the bead, means for feeding the bead past said cleaning means, and a helical guide for carrying the bead and operating to turn the bead to present different faces to the cleaning means; i i

55. In a bead cleaning machine, cleaning means for operating on the bead. means for feeding ,the bead past said cleaning means,

and a guide tube for carrying; the bead hav- 'iwg a helical .{l'lOOVB for turning the head to present different faces to the cleaning means. 7

3. ln a, bead cleaning machine, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alinerneut and operating in the sameplanerneans for feeding the bead past said cleaning wheels,

and a guide tube through which said behd passes operating to turn said head during its passage thercthrough to cause it to present .difi'ercnt surfaces to the several cleaning wheels. i i

4. In a head cleaning machine, a series of cleaning WlIQBlS disposed in alinemcnt and operating inthe same plane, means for feeding the head past said cleaning wheels, and a guide tuhcharing a helical groove therein through which the head passes, said groove turning said head to cause it'to present dilferent surfaces to the severalcleaning wheels. j

5. In a head cleaning machine, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alineinent and operating in the same plane, means for feeding the head past said cleaning wheels, and a guide tube through which the head passes disposed in thepath of: rotation of said cleaning wheels, said tube being cut away at th c points where the cleaning wheels contact therewith to expose the incloscd head to said leaning wheels.

(3. in a head cleaning machine, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alinement and operating in the same plane, means for feeding the head past said cleaning wheels, and a guide tube having a helical groove therein through which the bead passes, said groove turning said head and being cut away at the points where the cleaning wheels contact therewith to expose theinclosed head to said cleaning wheels.

7. in a head cleaning machine, feed and delivery rollers at opposite ends of the ma chine, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alineinent between said'feed and delir cry rollers, and a guide tube through which the head passes extending between said rollers and in the path of said cleaning wheels,

saidtuhc having an interior helical groove receiving and directing the bead and cansing it to turn in its passage thcrethrougln and said tube being cut away at the points where said boiling wheels contact therewith' to expose to said wheels the inclosed bead.

8.:A guide tube for head cleaning machines, comprising an outer casing, a guide bar disposed therein and helically grooved from end to end, and an intermediate sleeve disposed in the space between said guide bar and easing.

9. A guide tube for head cleaning machines, comprising an outer casing, a guide "haldisposed therein and helically grooved from end to end, and an intermediate sleeve disposed. in the space between said guide bar and easing, said casing, sleeve and guide har being cut away at inter ails to expose the head in its passage thcrethrough.

10. In a bead cleaning machine, feed and delivery rollers at opposite ends of the machinc, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alinenient between said feed and delivery rollers, a guide tube for the head disposed between said rollers and in the path of said cleaning wheels, and means for shifting said rollers and guide tube toward or frond said cleaning wheels.

11. In a bead cleaning machine, a series of cleaning wheels disposed in alinement,.

means for feeding and guiding the head past said wheels and for exposin, different surfaces of the head to the successive wheels, a supplemental cleaning wheel at the"discharge end of the machine, and means for carrylng and guiding the head- 

